Mar 24, 2010

Both of my parents grew up in hard core Baptist churches. My mother didn’t like them so she decided not to go as an adult. Not sure why she never looked for a different kind of church but she didn’t. When I was little she sent my sister and me to a Baptist church with my cousins because we started asking questions and she thought it would be good for us to learn what she learned in Sunday bible school. I went with them for a while, but hated the hustle and bustle of Sundays because we would ALWAYS be stuck with my cousins family ALL day long (Looking back this is probably the reason I drove everywhere as a teen and refused to carpool, I hate feeling stuck when I am ready to go!) So I didn’t start back to church untill I was a teen. I made friends with a few girls in my freshman art class that went to the same Weds night teen church, so I started going with them. Went every Wednesday and some Sundays. I didn’t like Sundays as much (early, by myself etc..) But I would go, especially during events.

I started going in 9th grade then into 10th grade when we moved to Loganville (about a 40 min drive in traffic away from my new house) My mom would take me to Sundays but not Weds when we moved because she wouldn’t get home in time to pick me up take me all the way out to Lucerne Baptist Church which is almost in Stone Mountain. Dad would take me some Weds but that required WAY to much begging.

I got a car (FINALLY) in fall of 11th, and took myself. In Dec that year I had jaw surgery, I have 4 screws in my jaw, and couldn’t chew for 6 months. But I still wanted to go on the winter retreat (my first church retreat ever) the first weekend of Jan, even though I couldn’t ski. We got to North Carolina and ate in the mess hall and headed up to our cabins. Only one of my girl friends went, but all 4 of our guy friends came. Our cabins were all separated boys/girls, there were a lot of younger girls that I didn’t really know and 3 moms for our girl cabin. The boys cabin was far away and they weren’t allowed to come near ours (I know DUH but it plays into the story later)

Our cabins were literally almost a mile from the mess hall if you were walking.That night at about 4am I woke up sick. I started throwing up. The girls woke up at 6ish, there were only two bathrooms for about 16 girls in this cabin. All they did was complain that I kept taking up a bathroom because I was sick, because "they were going to be late to the ski slopes" The moms asked me how I felt, I answered the obvious, they said they would come back after breakfast and check on me and bring me pepto bismal (SP).

THEY NEVER CAME BACK.

Not until ONE OCLOCK IN THE MORNING. No I am not kidding, I never stopped throwing up. I was drinking water out of the sink so I would stop dry heaving and have something to throw up. There wasn’t even any food in the cabin to eat. I didn’t have a cell phone, I couldn’t call anyone, and I didn’t want to OR think I could physically walk the mile to the mess hall to use the pay phone.

One of my close guy friends (I found out some of this later from him and the other 3 guys) kept asking the youth leader and the moms about me. They said "Oh so and so was going to check on her" he kept asking around in a circle till he got fed up around midnight and walked that mile to the cabin from the gym where they were doing a Weds like singing service. The mom's and youth leader ONLY came back to the cabins because they noticed that he was missing and figured he went to see me. So he was breaking the rules, they thought we must have been doing something naughty. They passed us on that walk. He was literally carrying me down to the mess hall to call my parents.

My parents showed up a few hours later. I refused to go back to the cabin with the women. They were really mad about that, and my guy friend refused to go back to his cabin and sat there with me at the mess hall with a trash can and took care of me. My mother could have literally killed them when she got there. I think she tried to keep her language clean, lol, but I doubt she did. I was her baby. I hope to make Joee feel as protected from everything and everyone the way that my mother made me feel. She reamed them for not checking on me, and pointed out that the 16 year old boy had more maturity then the adults she had entrusted with her daughter.

I could have died.

I ended up in the hospital with an IV because I was too dehydrated.

Even if my mother wouldn’t have forbid me to go back to that church I wouldn’t have went.They lost more than just me that day. My friend left too, we both demanded a refund which the church hesitantly gave to me and him.

I tried MANY churches in Loganville after my wounds healed. Loganville 1st Baptist, Victory Baptist, Sharon Church (I think that’s its name I can’t remember), I decided I didn’t like Baptists churches lol.

Max and I HATED that cult of a church Oasis. However I liked the church Max went to Snellville Christian, but I am not sure why we/I decided we didn’t want to go there. (we will talk about this later now that I have thought about it) I say we/I because Max is so easy going sometimes its hard to figure out what he does only because he picked up hints that its what I want to do.

In conclusion, shame on you LBC! Thank god for my friend Chris, and my wonderful Parents. Who might not have always been “perfect” and might not have always raised me the cookie cutter politically correct way that outsiders expect. But they have been the best parents a girl could have asked for. They taught me more about life, love, compassion, right/wrong, family, and faith by just being my parents then going to LBC ever did.

wow, that is awful!! I really hope you guys can find a church that fits and you feel at home at! We didn't really fit at Oasis, but I love C-4 and am getting so much out of the messages... and the people are so friendly, none of the fake stuff. Love it!

I hate that this happened to you...and so many others that reach out to a church and get the top layer of fake people.....It's always good to get feedback on other churches, but never just go to one just because it is the "cool" place to be. I know you aren't in it for that anyway. I will be praying for you guys to find a church, one that fits you and Max, and of course Joee.

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About the Sweet McCullough's

My name is Cheryl, I am a new mom. It is the most wonderful fullfilling and rewarding experience of my life. I love to sew, draw, and make any kind of crafts. I recently have centered all my craft efforts into three things, Joee my daughter, cupcakes, and our home. I am married to Maxwell, a carpenter who makes all my ideas and dreams come true. From making me custom furniture to being a wonderful father and husband!